The Boston Marathon Is in Boston, and Other Things The New York Post Got Right

Everyone is talking about all the things The New York Post got wrong during the course of its reporting on yesterday’s bombings in Boston. One example, per The Huffington Post (no relation!): “Soon after the blasts struck on Monday afternoon, the paper, citing law enforcement sources, said that 12 people had died. It stuck to this assertion all day, even as every other outlet put the number at two or, at the most, three.” And then there was the bit about a Saudi man being “in custody” of the Boston Police Department. The Boston Police Department—one of the top 10 sources, at least, for information relating to the Boston Police Department—disputed the report, saying that it did not have anyone in custody, Saudi or otherwise. As far as what’s been confirmed, the Boston Police Department still does not have anyone in custody.

The Atlantic, also taking note of the paper’s mistakes, hedges that it’s certainly possible the daily was “so far ahead of the story.” Meanwhile, The Washington Post (no relation!) threatens that the New York tabloid “better have good sources.” Sure, yes, naturally. What’s that old journalistic expression? “All sources are good sources”? We’ll pause to look it up in the Post.

While we are grateful that a battle-weary and heartbroken nation is able to come together and heal by mocking and/or criticizing The New York Post, in the interest of fairness, we do feel some responsibility to point out all the things the paper got right. Let’s give ’em some credit for the following:

The New York Post correctly reported that the Boston Marathon takes place in Boston, Massachusetts.

“Boston” is spelled correctly.

The current governor of the state is Deval Patrick.

Participants in the Boston Marathon are, in American English, colloquially referred to as “runners.”